The little gold box
by Tomato Soup
Summary: Ginny is given a strange gift for her 15th birthday. will she be able to work out how to use it before it's too late? will she be able decide what she really wants? how did life get so complicated?action, comedy, romance and mystery, what more could you w
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all of the characters belong to J K Rowling.  
*Pout* oh well enjoy!  
  
A/N: this was written before the 5th book came out. So none of that stuff has happened yet. Ginny still has a bit of a crush on Harry and she's never had a boyfriend. Ok that's all you need to know I think. Enjoy!  
  
Ginny flopped down onto her bed and surveyed her room, it was so. girlish, she had always liked it before, she was a very girlish girl, as her friend Samantha had once told her. But did Harry like girlie girls? Maybe she should ask to get her room painted. After all she was 15 now, no longer a little girl.  
No. she wasn't going to change who she was, not even for Harry. If he didn't like her they way she was well he could just go stuff himself. Who cares what Harry thinks.  
  
Well maybe a little change is a good thing, "no bad Ginny" she grumbled to herself "he isn't nor has he ever been interested in you. Get over it!"  
  
"do you always talk to yourself?"  
  
Ginny let out an involuntary yelp of surprise, and a thousand thoughts flew through her head at once, mostly consisting of, 'what if Harry was standing behind her' Turning round she was relieved to find it wasn't Harry, instead it was her big brother Charlie.  
  
"Charlie!" she exclaimed as she jumped over her bed and threw herself at him, "I thought you weren't coming home till. well not now"  
  
Charlie wrapped his little sister in a big friendly bear hug "well I missed you, and I wanted to give you this, I got it for your birthday, and I wanted to give you it in person, sorry I missed the big day"  
  
"it's ok" she assured him "I got you're owl, thanks. Now gimmy" she jokingly demanded as she took her present.  
  
It was a little gold box, that just fit into the palm of her hand. The whole thing was covered in tiny little leafs, "it's beautiful" she told him in awe "thank you"  
  
"your welcome, but I can't work out how to open it. I thought it was pretty though. Now who is this guy that isn't interested? Need me to hurt him?"  
  
"Charlie" she complained "I'm not telling you"  
  
"oh come on Ginnykins," he said in a sing song voice  
  
She threw a pillow at him, she hadn't been called 'Ginnykins' since she was a tiny little girl and she didn't want that to start again. She wasn't a little girl any more, she was a young woman. And she was going to be treated like one. starting today.  
  
Charlie looked at his watch, well I better go, I've got to meet someone soon. I'll talk to you when I get back ok?"  
  
"you can't go, you just got here"  
  
he ruffled her hair playfully before saying "it's business Gin, I'll catch you later" then he headed to the door.  
  
"when will you be back?" she asked  
  
"dinner" he replied then was gone.  
  
Ginny sat on her bed for a while before realising she was completely bored and headed down the stairs. Only her mum was there, odd she was sure Ron and Hermione had been in the living room all morning. Hermione was staying for a while before they all started back at school. "where are Ron and Hermione?" she asked her mother. Hermione was staying with them till the end of the summer, mostly because she had begged her dad, a favour to Ron, which ment he owed her, always fun. Ron and Hermione had finally started going out a little before the start of the summer. And Ron had decided not to tell the family, Ginny only knew because, well every one at school knew.  
  
"Fred went with them to pick up Harry, they should be here soon. She said glancing up at the big clock, Harry and Hermione had been added to it the year before and both them, Ron and Fred's arrows all pointed to 'out'  
  
"Fudge!" Ginny muttered sharply under her breath. Harry would be here soon, and she looked awful,  
  
she was perfectly fine, ok so she wasn't exactly dressed for a dinner party, but her faded blue jeans and scruffy white T-shirt were just fine. She was over Harry. And that was Final.  
  
She sat herself down onto the large over stuffed couch, and put the little radio onto a music station. The radio was half way through it's second song when she heard a loud bang from the front garden, Both Ginny and her mum jumped up and ran outside to see what had happened. Ron, Fred, Hermione and Harry were all Lying in a crumpled heap on the ground.  
  
"I knew there was a reason I hated Port keys" Harry muttered sourly.  
  
"oh good lord!" Molly Weasly exclaimed as she rushed towards the group, followed closely by Ginny.  
  
Ron stood up helped by his mother then turned to help Hermione stand. Ginny held out her hand to Harry without thinking and he took it. Just that simple touch sent a small shiver up her arm, but she pushed it away, she was only helping the guy to stand up, no big deal, right?  
  
She expected to be blushing, as she usually did when ever he was near her, let alone holding her hand, but her face didn't feel hot. Well that was good, should she try and talk to him? Yes she should, ok think Ginny think, what should she say? "you ok?" she asked, well that worked, and just to make the moment even better she still wasn't blushing.  
  
Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Thanks" he told her as he brushed himself off. Then she turned and walked into the house before she lost her calm demeanour. Well that hadn't been to bad had it?  
  
~*~  
  
After Molly had concluded that no one was hurt due to the disastrous port- Key adventure, she had let them all sit down to a beautifully prepared meal, suddenly Harry felt like he hadn't eaten for days, he was starved. And he didn't even refuse when Mrs Weasly offered him a third helping.  
  
It was good to be back, this was his home, not with the Durslies, thankfully he wouldn't be spending any more time with them, ever. As he was now 16, and legally and adult, they had asked him to move out. Well it was more like being thrown out. But he really couldn't care less. Ron had invited him to live with them until they had finished school then they were planning on getting a flat together. Life was good.  
  
Harry noticed that Ginny wasn't at the table, but that wasn't unusual. He hardly ever saw the girl, when ever he was around she would always hide from him, he really hadn't expected anything less.  
  
But then she came into the room and sat at her place across from him. And if that wasn't shocking enough. She didn't spill a thing all evening. Was she finally over her crush? Or maybe she had just grown up. A quick look at her confirmed that thought, she had most certainly grown up. Or had she always looked like that? Surly not, but then the school robes were really not very flattering.  
  
She looked lovely, had her hair always been that colour? like a thousand different shades of fire. Of course it had. Harry had just never really looked at her before. And he should probably stop doing it now because someone was bound to notice, this was stupid. How could he be thinking about Ginny like that. Ron's little sister. It was just wrong. And judging by the way she had been acting she wasn't interested in him any more. ###  
  
"this is really nice Mrs Weasly" Hermione said bringing Harry out of his thoughts.  
  
"oh don't tell me dear, Ginny made that" Mrs weasly told Hermione  
  
Ginny looked up at the mention of her name "Ginny made what?" she asked suspiciously, having not been paying attention.  
  
"the cake, the one you made yesterday" Mrs weasly told her daughter  
  
"oh right. You like it?"  
  
"it's really nice" Hermione told her "you need to teach me how to make it"  
  
Ginny smiled shyly and she could feel the blood rushing to her face, why couldn't she just take a complement. "yeah, I'll do that, may I be excused please?" this she asked her mum.  
  
"sure, are you ok?" Molly asked concerned  
  
"yeah mum I'm fine, I just have some homework to do. so, um bye" and with that she got up and headed to her room.  
  
(A/N):To be continued. ( I hope)  
  
please r/r, let me know what you guys think, and I won't update this until I have at least one review, cuz I see no point in writing more if no one is going to read it. I hope ya'll like it, and a word of warning, I'm not a hundred percent sure where this is going, so be prepared for anything. lol Luv 'n' hugs T S X x x 


	2. Dinner

Disclaimer: same as before, I own nothing. Except maybe the little gold box but apart from that I own nothing.  
  
Ginny flopped onto her bed for the second time that day, why had she gotten so embarrassed? Hermione was only telling her that the cake was nice. Ginny made a growl low in her throat and hid her head under the pillow. She was hopeless. Well at least Charlie would be home for dinner, that was a good thing. What to do till then? She could read, nah! Boring. Homework? Even worse. The box! How could she have forgotten it, Charlie had said he couldn't get it open, maybe she could do that, see if there was anything inside.  
  
She pulled the box out of the drawer in her bed side table, and studied it for a second. It looked like a solid block of gold, no wait if she looked very closely at it she could see a thin line running all the way around it, but there didn't seem to be a catch anywhere on it, did the lid just lift up?  
  
She tried it but the thing was shut tight, did it need magic to open? She couldn't think of any spells that would open it, besides it was the summer holidays, she wasn't supposed to do magic, perhaps she should ask her dad. Or she could look for something in her school books. She had borrowed a few books from school over the summer, maybe they would have something.  
  
~*~  
  
"Want a game of Quidditch harry?" Ron asked standing up from the table  
  
"Yeah sure," he replied as he also got up, "Thanks for lunch Mrs weasly, it was lovely"  
  
"Your very welcome dear, now you two be careful."  
  
"We will," the boys answered in unison, then Ron added, "Herm you wanna play too, we can borrow Fred's broom."  
  
"Uh-no thanks, but I'll come watch," she told them  
  
And with that worked out the three of them made their way to the little hill outside the Burrow, it was completely secluded, no muggles anywhere so it was safe to play, as long as they didn't fly too high.  
  
~*~  
  
"Ginny!" Molly Weasly called, "Dinner time!"  
  
Ginny looked up from her books which were now strewn across the floor, she had only found one thing that might open the box, it was a really complex locking spell, and she had learned it, and the counter spell off by heart, she would try it the second she got onto the train at king cross station. But for now she was going to go eat, reading was hungry work. Plus Charlie said he would be back.  
  
When she got down the stairs she found that Charlie was back, and so were the rest of her brothers. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George plus her father too. Ron, Harry and Hermione were still out.  
  
The Burrow hadn't been this crowded for years. Ginny wondered what was going on. Not that she wasn't happy to see her family. But it was a little odd.  
  
Then all at once as if they had discussed it. All 5 of her brothers jumped up and gave her a hug. She let out a little squeal, before they reached her but wasn't fast enough to get out of they way. "Uh, it's good to see you all too. But I need to breath" she told them, and they let go, all grinning from ear to ear. "what's going on?" she asked "Why is every one here?"  
  
"Well honey we decided to have a family week, we haven't really spent much time together, so we thought it would be nice," her father told her  
  
"Cool," Ginny agreed as she squeezed in between Percy and Fred "Where's Ron?" she asked.  
  
"Oh their still outside, would you go get them for me?" her mother asked her.  
  
"Sure," Ginny agreed and headed out to the little hill.  
  
A/N: I know this is a little short but writers block decided to strike, but I think I have a good idea for the next chapt, and please r/r. let me know what I'm doing wrong, and what's good. Cuz I can't fix it if I don't know how. Ok thanks.  
  
And a big thanx to Mrs Pitt my one and only reader. Go you!!!!  
  
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Luv 'n' hugs TS X x x 


	3. time for a swim

Disclaimer: I own nothing, if I did own them I would be rich, and I'm not. Oh well enjoy the story anyway.

The next few days passed far to quickly for Ginny, they only had one day left before, Harry, Hermione, Ron and herself all went back to school. But apparently her parents had prepared a surprise for them. She couldn't wait. Dad had sounded really excited. She threw the covers off of her bed and jumped out being careful not to wake Hermione, who was sharing her room, and ran down stairs.

Her mother was in the Kitchen, but she was the only one there. It was rather early after all.

"Hello dear, your up early," her mother greeted her.

"Hi Mum!" she said in reply, "I want to know what this surprise is, so, are you going to tell me?"

"Look out side" her mum told her. She ran to the window and threw open the curtains. Her dad was standing in the garden, wand pointed at the ground. What was he doing? Then she saw. He had made a large swimming pool.

"So what do you think?" her mum asked coming up behind her

"Cool," she breathed, it was all she could get out

"So, go and wake your brothers, I don't want them wasting the day. Off you go now. And tell them to put on their swimming cosies" Mrs Weasley told her daughter as she shooed her out of the room.

Ginny ran up the stairs to Bill and Charlie's room, opened the door quietly,

"Guys?" She asked the quiet room "Uh, guys time to get up" Bill turned over but there was no other response from the boys. That's when Ginny got an idea. she walked over to Charlie's bed and jumped on him, he woke up with a start, then when he realised what had happened he hit Ginny with his pillow.

"You gave me a fright, don't do that!" he yelled before hitting her playfully with the pillow again. She responded by grabbing Bill's and hit Charlie back.

Bill woke up as his head hit the bed, and he stared at the roof for a second wondering where his pillow had gone, then the sound he was hearing sunk in, and he looked over to find his brother and his little sister in the midst of a frantic pillow fight.

"Will you two shut up!" he demanded grouchily. He was not a morning person

"No!" they both replied at once and each threw their pillow at him.

"Mum told me to get you two up, put on your swimming things and come down stairs," she chirped before running out of the room.

She got Percy up by tickling him, he was a very tickly person. Then it was Fred and George's turn. Both of them were fairly light sleepers so all she had to do was talk loudly and they were both awake.

When she went into her own room to get Hermione she found the girl was already awake,

"Hey," Hermione greeted her sleepily

"Hi!" Ginny replied, "You wanna help me get Ron up?"

"Um, ok," Hermione replied, not really sure why she had to wake up her boy-friend.

When Ginny pushed open the door to Ron's room, she stopped dead at the door. Harry was sleeping in a camp bed on the floor. She found herself staring at him, he looked so peaceful, with his hair more tousled than usual, and the michevious smile tugging at his lips he looked… lovely.

Whoa! No, bad Ginny! Your over Harry remember? Don't think like that. 

"You won't wake him up by staring, Gin," Hermione whispered to her and her face turned a bright shade of scarlet, Hermione smiled at her. "I won't tell, I promise, why don't you go get changed I'll get them up, and swimming costumes right?"

Ginny gave Hermione a 'thank you so much' smile, nodded her head in response to Hermione's question then retreated quickly out of the room.

Harry made his way down the stairs in his swimming trunks, why was he supposed to be wearing them? Well for swimming he guessed, but swimming where?

"Oh there you two are, Every one is already out side, now come here till I put some sun-block on you, we don't want you getting burned now do we?"

Mrs Weasley pointed at the two boys and murmured some words that Harry didn't hear. There was a loud 'pop' and then Mrs Weasley shooed them out of the door.

Harry was surprised to see a large swimming pool in the middle of the Weasley's garden.

"Come on harry!" Ron said as he pushed him towards the pool, then pushed him in.

Harry resurfaced in front of Ginny who was sitting with her feet dangling in the water, and she was laughing at him. Then without thinking he grabbed her ankles and pulled her into the water.

She popped her head back up and glared at him. "What did you do that for"

"You were laughing at me," he said, straining to keep his face straight. She looked so hot when she was mad.

Arge! Why did brain think such thought! No! Ginny was not hot, she was… Ginny, the silly little girl who had a stupid crush on him, Ron's little sister. Sure she was kind of pretty, but she wasn't hot. No, just keep thinking that. 

Then she laughed and splashed him.

Harry stopped swimming and turned around to wait on Ron he had won another race, that made 5 now but Ron refused to admit that Harry was the Fastest Swimmer. That was when Harry noticed Ginny. She was climbing out of the pool and he couldn't help staring at her. The swimming costume she was wearing looked perfect on her, it was a deep red colour, and it showed of her body perfectly, all the right curves in all the right places.

"Ok, one more time Harry. I'll win this time," Ron said interrupting his thoughts. Harry was glad that Ron hadn't noticed him staring at Ginny, Ron would probably kill him if he had any idea what had just been running through his head.

"Ok one more, but I'll beat you again."

They had spent at least three hours playing in the pool, Harry and Ron were having a competition to see who could hold their breath the longest. Fred and George were having a water fight , which was silly considering they had just spent the day in a swimming pool. Bill and Charlie were having a game of exploding snap at the side of the pool and Hermione and Ginny were sunbathing on the grass.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Hermione asked, "It's a shame they don't have a swimming pool at Hogwarts."

"Maybe we should suggest it to Dumbledore," Ginny suggested, "You think he would…"

But Hermione cut her off. "Harry's looking at you again."

Ginny looked up and caught Harry's eye for a split second before he looked back down at the stop-watch he was using to time Ron. Something funny was going on, that was the 7th time she had caught him staring at her, and according to Hermione he had been doing it more times than 7. Ok time to find out what was going on.

"Harry?" she asked, he looked up at her "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Yeah sure Ginny" he replied unsure, climbing out of the pool and leaving Ron. Why would she want to talk to him? Had he done something wrong? Well she didn't look mad, but she didn't look overly happy either. Maybe she was plotting something for one of her brothers and wanted his help, yeah that was it. Had to be.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him round the corner of the house. The second her skin touched his it sent a shiver of electricity up his arm and made his heart skip a beat, had she noticed it? She didn't appear to.

"Ok Harry, why have you been staring at me? It's getting kind of unnerving"

Harry tried to think of a good answer, truth? No way. He was not about to tell her that he liked her. But his mouth had other ideas, and he blurted out the answer before he could stop himself. "Cause you look hot"

Her face fell as she stared at him in disbelief, he didn't blame her he didn't really believe that he had said it either.

"I can't believe you! You only notice me because you think I'm hot? I thought you were different from other guys, guess I was wrong! I can't believe I spent the past 5 years of my life drooling over you. Rrrge!" then she turned on her heal and stormed off, back to her Family.

"Good going Potter" he mumbled savagely to himself, if she hadn't been over her crush before, she was now. How stupid could he get.

A/N: well what do you think? Do I have any loyal readers yet? Well let me know what you think. And I actually have a plot! Go me! Go me! starts to do a little happy dance then stops when she realises that ppl are watching

I know what's going to happen, but you guys will have to wait until the next excitement filled instalment of 'A Little Gold Box' Theme music plays please r/r let me know what u think

Thank ya

Luv n hugs

TS

X x x


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